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Posts Tagged ‘Legitimacy’

AT&T CEO: iPad will be mostly used on WiFi, won’t drive many new 3G subscriptions
We all know by now that AT&T has secured the rights to furnish US iPad owners with 3G connectivity, but apparently the market desire for that service won’t be quite as big as we might have expected. That comes straight from Randall Stephenson himself, AT&T CEO and eternal believer in the power of i-branded devices, so it may have some legitimacy to it. Surely Randall’s dearest wish would be to announce his network is about to be overwhelmed by new subscribers, and the rather cooler news has already caused a small dint in AT&T’s stock price. Then again, this is hardly shocking news given that 3G on the iPad can be had on a month-by-month basis without contract, and in truth any subscriptions related to it would have to be achieved by AT&T’s own ingenuity — which, judging by its CEO’s comments, won’t be suffering any undue exertions any time soon. Not only that, Randall’s also taken the opportunity to advise us that higher data rates are likely for intensive users of unlimited 3G data plans — whether on the iPad or on smartphones. Way to endear yourself to the masses, dude.

AT&T CEO: iPad will be mostly used on WiFi, won’t drive many new 3G subscriptions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BlackBerry slider photos leak out!

You can consider our minds completely and utterly blown tonight, as we’ve just stumbled upon these photos of what appears to be a new BlackBerry device… a vertical slider. The source (BlackBerry Leaks) doesn’t seem to be able to confirm the legitimacy of the photos, but we’re mostly convinced that this is some variation of a RIM device. While BB Leaks speculates on the possibility of this being the Storm 3, Kevin Michaluk over at CrackBerry suggests this might not be a device headed to market, rather an early version which has been scrapped, similar to that Magnum handset that floated onto the internet recently (though Kevin suggests that our friends in Canada may very well have plans for something in this form factor). What we can say with assurance, however, is that this device coupled with those new BIS 3.0 Gmail integration upgrades, that forthcoming RIM WebKit browser, and a rumored new OS would help push things into the territory of that dream smartphone we pleaded for back in 2008. Coincidence? We think not.

BlackBerry slider photos leak out! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cartoon: Friends With Benefits

The debate rages on over whether social networks (and Twitter, and YouTube, and, and, and) have any legitimacy in the workplace, fueled in no small part by people who sell tools to block them.

But employers who turn their noses up at Facebook et al. may well discover that their coveted Millennials (a.k.a. Generation Y, a.k.a. those damn kids who won’t get off your lawn) are happy to return the favour when recruiting time rolls around. Blocking access to Facebook looks a lot like those IT departments that wouldn’t install web browsers on your computer a decade ago… or external email access a few years earlier.

Sponsor

And like those tools before them, the social web today is increasingly being used by companies and organizations for productive, collaborative work. So it’s not just a question of denying your HR department a hiring pool of cool kids. Blocking social media from your company can mean cutting yourself off from an important potential source of productivity, innovation and increased efficiency.

Of course, that’s an argument I like to make to people who haven’t just received a dozen Farmville notifications.

More Noise to Signal.

Discuss

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Philips’ crazy Rationalizer bracelet / bowl concept is a mirror into your emotional well-being (video)

We’re still wrapping our head around this one, another crazy idea borne of Philips’ womb. The Rationalizer, a concept jointly developed by Philips and ABN AMRO, consists of two units aptly named EmoBowl and EmoBracelet. Intended for online investors working at home, the lights intensify and turn a brighter red when your emotions flare, offering what it calls a “mirror of emotion” to warn you that it might be good to take a breather and calm down before making any irrational financial decisions. A clever and surprisingly simple idea — flashiness aside, it looks like it’s just primary motivation is pulse detection — but frankly going by the website alone, we didn’t believe this was real at first. Sure enough, though, a call to Philips’ PR contacts confirmed its legitimacy, and reminded us of the last time we doubted one of the company’s lackluster concept sites, which ended up being the 21:9 widescreen TV. Does this mean we might one day actually get to wear one of these things? We can only hope. Concept videos after the break.

[Thanks, RicoPacino]

Continue reading Philips’ crazy Rationalizer bracelet / bowl concept is a mirror into your emotional well-being (video)

Philips’ crazy Rationalizer bracelet / bowl concept is a mirror into your emotional well-being (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Hat tells Supremes: software patents stifle innovation

Red Hat has filed an amicus curiae brief in a major Supreme Court case. In the brief, Red Hat makes a strong case against software patents, arguing that the legal reasoning that led to software patents was flawed and that the pending Bilski case provides the Supreme Court with an important opportunity to rectify this long-standing problem with the patent system.

The Bilski case, which we have been following closely during its ascent through the courts, is a dispute that specifically relates to patents on methods for commodities trading. The case has raised new questions about the legitimacy of business methods patents and the basis on which such patents are granted. The outcome of the case could have a particularly significant impact on the software industry if the Supreme Court uses Bilski to redefine the boundaries of patentability in a way that excludes software.

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Palm Pre going for a nice, round $100 on contract at Amazon

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Pre for $100, but coming from Amazon, the legitimacy level is at an all-time high. If you’re up for a contract renewal, it begs the question why you wouldn’t do this over… oh, pretty much anywhere else where you’re still paying the recently-reduced $149 rate — and it also makes you wonder just how much price pressure’s going to be on the Pixi’s diminutive shoulders by the time it launches.

[Via Gear Diary and everythingpre]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Palm Pre going for a nice, round $100 on contract at Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS’ Ion-infused Eee PC 1201n netbook emerges overseas

If ASUS is hoping to stick with that “mid-October” launch date here in North America, we’d say it better get whatever units it has laying around loaded up with an English-speaking version of Windows and onto a large vessel destined for a US port. Still, it’s good to see some “proof” that the roadmapped Eee PC 1201n — a 12-inch netbook with NVIDIA’s Ion technology — is actually on schedule for an autumn release, even if said “proof” is a product listing on an Asian e-tailer’s website. Unfortunately, the machine is still humming along on Intel’s near-ancient Atom N270 processor, though the 2GB of RAM, high(er) resolution panel, real man’s GPU and Windows 7 operating system should help move things along. Per usual, we don’t expect ASUS to confirm or deny the legitimacy of this slip, but if you’re in the market for an Eee, this may be all you needed to hold off just a bit.

[Via NetbookItalia]

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS’ Ion-infused Eee PC 1201n netbook emerges overseas originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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